Automatic inventory control system with information tape

ABSTRACT

There is disclosed a fabric bolt or roll goods handling system which includes an information tape having segments for recording goods length remaining in a bolt or roll together with other intelligence necessary to properly maintain inventory and a reading, recording and correlating system for using said taped information.

United States Patent Lieberthal 51 Aug. 15, 1972 [54] AUTOMATIC INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM WITH INFORMATION TAPE [72] Inventor: Edwin M. Lieberthal, 86 Fieldstone Lane, Valley Stream, NY. 1 1581 [22] Filed: Aug. 14, 1970 [21] Appl. No.1 63,893

[52] US. Cl. ..235/6l.7 R, 33/128, 235/61.12 R [51] Int. Cl. .....G0lb 3/10, B65h 61/00, G06k 19/04 [58] Field ofSearch ..33/128,l33;235/61.12 R,

61.12 N, 235/617 B, 61.11 E, 61.7 R

2,692,083 10/1954 Marsh ..235/61. 12 R 3,457,641 7/1969 Watson ..235/61.12 R X 986,955 3/1911 Strom ..33/128 X 3,162,468 12/1964 Jonker ..235/61.12 R

Primary ExaminerMaynard R. Wilbur Assistant Examiner-Robert M. Kilgore Att0rneyPennie, Edmonds, Morton, Taylor and Adams 5 7 I ABSTRACT There is disclosed a fabric bolt or roll goods handling system which includes an information tape having segments for recording goods length remaining in a bolt or roll together with other intelligence necessary to properly maintain inventory and a reading, recording and correlating system for using said taped information.

7 Claims, 7 Drawing Figures I wauaa nan am auUUUDlUUU man L :2: I UNIT PRICE YARDS: glllj fRlcE YARDS: 1 4/1: Educational or Commercial Message 3 15 PATENTEDAuc 1 5 I972 3 684 863 sum 2 BF 2 FIG. 3 (27 I4 l CONTENT= I WIDTHI "v 25 m 4 M m EUUUUUUIEQZQUYR? [WIDTHZ Q 3 l CAREI M coii ff: UNIT nna WM JQQHW .l iHn I I x l M 291 I 129 REIRJDER COMPUTER REC OIEDER INVENTOR.

E DWI N M. LIEBERTHAL COLLECTOR ATTORNEYS AUTOMATIC INVENTORY CONTROL SYSTEM WITH INFORMATION TAPE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the course of running a fabric business wherein yard goods are sold from bolts or in the operation of businesses involving rolled goods generally, it is periodically necessary to take an inventory of remaining goods. Typically, the remaining yard goods in bolts which have been partially sold have to be measured and records must be made by individuals who are previously trained for the task. Such taking of inventory can consume much time and the results are not always accurate.

It has been proposed that the taking of inventory would be simplified if bolts of fabric or other rolled goods were to include a tape measure rolled together with the goods a portion of which would remain with a bolt and would indicate after each sale the remaining length in a bolt of fabric. Such a tape has been shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 946,471. Other U.S. patents such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 879,846 and 886,814 have disclosed similar arrangements. However, although there are advantages to the systems proposed, particularly in the saving of measuring the remaining yardage in a bolt the information contained in such tape measuring systems is insufficient and must be manually recorded and compiled. This perpetuates the time consuming aspect previously mentioned.

It is the purpose of the present invention to obviate these difficulties and to provide an information tape system and handling means which produces a current inventory automatically.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the present invention an information tape suitable for use with rolled goods such as fabric bolts has a series of connected segments along its length, each segment being for example one-eighth of a yard in length and having thereupon information as to the manufacturing source, kind, style and price per unit length of goods. Each segment is separable from another and has the information arranged thereupon in a suitable manner for scanning and recording by apparatus for this purpose. Such apparatus will operate in conjunction with a computer whose programming will provide instantaneous inventory records of all goods under its control. The tape will also be able 'to provide educational information regarding the care of the fabric or other material.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIGS. 1A and 1B are fragmentary lengthwise plan views of the information tape according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section taken in the direction of arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1A;

FIG. 3 is an alternate form of information tape according to the invention;

FIG. 4 is another alternate form of information tape;

FIG. 5 illustrates the tape installed in a bolt of fabric; and

FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating the method and apparatus for handling and processing segmentary units of tape to provide automatic inventory control.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing and initially to FIGS. 1A and 18, a tape 10 has been illustrated according to the present invention. The tape 10 will be provided with a starting strip 11 which precedes a plurality of lengthwise segments 12. Each of the segments 12 is separated from the starting strip 11 and from each segment 12 by perforations 13 which extend transversely of the tape. The perforations 13 are separated in the embodiment illustrated at one-eighth yard increments so that each segment 12 is exactly 4% inches in length. Arrows 14 appear immediately to the left of each perforation 13 above numerical indicia 15 which indicate the total yardage from starting arrows 17. Therefore, the numeral 0:1 indicates one-eighth yard from the start of the tape whereas a numeral 34:3 for example, would indicate 34% yards from the start. Each segment 12 further includes information pertaining to stock unit and price with appropriate boxed areas for the recording of such information. It is possible therefore to insert such information in these boxed areas relating to the source of manufacture of the goods, the type of material, color and style as well as the price per unit length. Such information can be preprinted or later inserted by using permanent recording, pencil or ink. The information will be able to be read visually and also, because of its arrangement on the segments 12 and by proper selection of inks or other marking, as will be described, an automatic scanning apparatus can be used to read the information contained on each segment 12.

In the embodiment of FIGS. 1A and 18, each segment 12 also will have an area devoted to an educa tional message which may be directed to the care, content, width, cleaning and handling of the fabric of other material to be associated with the tape. Such message may appear on the face or reverse side of each segment or extend over two or more adjacent segments.

As seen in FIG. 1A, the perforations 13 adjacent to the starting arrows 17 will be coincident with the beginning of fabric 18 forming the bolt 19 (FIG. 5). As shown in FIG. 2, the starting end 11 of tape 10 will be attached by a suitable means such as staples 20 to the core 32 (shown as a tube; however a flat reel core may also be used) around which the fabric 18 is wound to form bolt 19. The tape, located in the fold of the fabric 18, is then wound in the bolt with the beginning of the fabric being arranged to coincide with the starting arrows 17. One advantage of this arrangement is that the tape is independent of the material being wound. Consequently, if the material is wound under too much tension, the material will be stretched to some extent. However, as each sale is made from a bolt, the fabric will relax, so that at such time as the final yardage is dispensed, any tape remaining without fabric will indicate the measure of shortage in the original yardage reading due to excessive fabric tension in put-up.

The operation of the tape system to provide automatic inventory control is as follows: As fabric is unwound from a bolt or material taken from roll goods, a length of tape 10 will be unwound with the fabric or material and the remainder will stay with the unused portion of the bolt. It is presumed that in the case of the fabric, yard lengths thereof will be sold in increments of no less than one-eighth yard. When a length has been unwound from a bolt, the fabric may thus be cut precisely by using an appropriate segment 12 as a measuring guide. After cutting the fabric, the 4% inch segment immediately adjacent to the tape which remains with the bolt will be used for keeping automatic inventory as will be described. The remaining segments of tape can be taken by the customer together with the sold goods, each segment containing other useful information relating to the care of the fabric.

The single detached segment 12 adjacent to those remaining with the bolt will be received by a collector 21 (FIG. 6) which may accumulate the segments indicating sales of different fabric or alternatively, relay such segments immediately or at intervals to a reader and recorder 22. The reader and recorder 22 will scan the numerical information on each segment 12 pertaining to yards remaining in respective bolts and stock, unit and price information. This information will be supplied to a computer 23 which has been programmed to assimilate and correlate the various information units from each segment 12 and to provide a total inventory record.

FIGS. 3 and 4 illustrate different embodiments of information tape according to the present invention. In the embodiment of FIG. 3, a tape 25 in all respect is similar to that of FIGS. 1A and 18 except that each segment 12a thereof has longitudinal perforations 26 enabling the information pertaining to total remaining yardage, stock, unit and price to be separated from the educational message. The section 27 therefore can be thus separated and collected, read and recorded in accordance with apparatus shown in FIG. 6.

FIG. 4 discloses a tape 28 which is similar to the tape 10 of FIG. 1A and 18 except that a separate section 29 is detachable therefrom having punched openings 28a therein which can be machine read and recorded, the punched openings being coded indicia equivalent to that appearing on section 30 of the segments 31.

It will be understood that the key to the present invention lies in the segmented or incremental nature of the information tape, each segment containing all useful information identifying the particular material and remaining yardage in the unused portion of the rolled goods. It is particularly advantageous that each segment is marked in cumulative, specific one-eighth yard increments for example 11:1, 11:2, 11:3 etc. The detached segments which are immediately adjacent to the goods remaining in a roll or bolt can thus be visually read and machine scanned, recorded and correlated to provide automatic completely current inventory control of all unsold goods.

It will be understood that the foregoing description relates to a particular embodiment of the invention and is therefore merely representative. In order to understand the entire scope of the invention reference should be made to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A method of continuous automatic inventory control of rolled goods such as bolts of fabric and the like comprising taking a tape having equal length segments lengthwise thereof, arranging said tape to be coextensive in length with said rolled goods, each segment bearing indicia relating to the lengthwise position of said segment relative to said rolled goods and other ingicia necessary 18 identif sjaid goods for inventory, etaching one sai segmen a acenttoa me of separation of said goods from said roll, passing said detached segment through a scanning apparatus and recording the information from said indicia and automatically correlating said recorded information to provide a continuous inventory of said rolled goods.

2. The method according to claim I wherein said tape has a starting strip and said rolled goods has a core or reel including the step of fastening said strip to said core and arranging said goods to be doubled about said tape and to coincide with the start point of the first of said tape segments and winding said goods and tape about said core.

3. An automatic inventory control system to be used in conjunction with a plurality of rolls of material such as bolts of fabric including a tape having a lengthwise plurality of joined segments, each of said segments being equal in length, each length corresponding to a minimum measurement unit in which said material will be sold, means for placing the starting end of said tape to coincide with the starting end of each said roll and for arranging the remainder of said tape in coextensive lengthwise relation with said material throughout said roll, each segment having indicia thereupon to identify each said measurement unit individually in relation to its lengthwise position in said roll as a cumulative total of the material remaining in said roll when measured from said segment to the beginning of said roll, each said segment further having thereupon indicia identifying said material or fabric, for example, as to manufac turing source, type, style etc., sufficient for normal inventory purposes, each of the kinds of indicia being so arranged on said tape segments to permit scanning and recording of the information represented thereby by apparatus for this purpose, a scanner for detecting said information, and a computer for receiving said scanned information to provide an automatic and continuous inventory of said rolls of material.

4. The tape according to claim 3 wherein said segments are separated by transverse perforations defined by said tape.

5. The tape according to claim 4 wherein said indicia are a series of punched openings in said segments.

6. The tape according to claim 4 wherein said segments further include educational information relating to the care of said goods or fabric.

7. The tape according to claim 4 wherein said segments have longitudinal perforations therein separating the educational indicia from other indicia. 

1. A method of continuous automatic inventory control of rolled goods such as bolts of fabric and the like comprising taking a tape having equal length segments lengthwise thereof, arranging said tape to be coextensive in length with said rolled goods, each segment bearing indicia relating to the lengthwise position of said segment relative to said rolled goods and other indicia necessary to identify said goods for inventory, detaching one said segment adjacent to a line of separation of said goods from said roll, passing said detached segment through a scanning apparatus and recording the information from said indicia and automatically correlating said recorded information to provide a continuous inventory of said rolled goods.
 2. The method according to claim 1 wherein said tape has a starting strip and said rolled goods has a core or reel including the step of fastening said strip to said core and arranging said goods to be doubled about said tape and to coincide with the start point of the first of said tape segments and winding said goods and tape about said core.
 3. An automatic inventory control system to be used in conjunction with a plurality of rolls of material such as bolts of fabric including a tape having a lengthwise plurality of joined segments, each of said segments being equal in length, each length corresponding to a minimum measurement unit in which said material will be sold, means for placing the starting end of said tape to coincide with the starting end of each said roll and for arranging the remainder of said tape in coextensive lengtHwise relation with said material throughout said roll, each segment having indicia thereupon to identify each said measurement unit individually in relation to its lengthwise position in said roll as a cumulative total of the material remaining in said roll when measured from said segment to the beginning of said roll, each said segment further having thereupon indicia identifying said material or fabric, for example, as to manufacturing source, type, style etc., sufficient for normal inventory purposes, each of the kinds of indicia being so arranged on said tape segments to permit scanning and recording of the information represented thereby by apparatus for this purpose, a scanner for detecting said information, and a computer for receiving said scanned information to provide an automatic and continuous inventory of said rolls of material.
 4. The tape according to claim 3 wherein said segments are separated by transverse perforations defined by said tape.
 5. The tape according to claim 4 wherein said indicia are a series of punched openings in said segments.
 6. The tape according to claim 4 wherein said segments further include educational information relating to the care of said goods or fabric.
 7. The tape according to claim 4 wherein said segments have longitudinal perforations therein separating the educational indicia from other indicia. 